Company and crochet

Today started with a room changeover at the gîte and so some general cleaning too. I’m pleased to see that the current guests are much cleaner and tidier than those that were there last week. So things were sorted much quicker and without the need for a removals company.

This afternoon was Knit and Natter, or crochet. There are two things that I want to talk about in relation to this afternoon, one is the importance of company for our mental health and the other is the way in which the two languages are being balanced. Both of these issues are at the heart of our group.

Earlier in the day I had posted in our messenger group to say that I would be going and to get an idea of who might be coming. One of the women said that she might give it a miss this time. I reminded her that there would be gluten free cake and good coffee. To which she responded that I certainly knew how to tempt her! She did arrive and some how several of us started talking about mental health. We agreed that whilst creative activities are fantastic for our mental health, human interaction is also very necessary. If we think about the PERMA model of flourishing, then both relationships and meaning making can be found in our social relationships. I believe that such interactions are crucial for us to flourish. It is about balance, we need the creative opportunities but we also need the social interaction. I am so pleased that our group appears to be providing both. And on the subject of balance I will move on to my second point.

When I left today the owner of Sur La Route commented to me about the way in which the two languages were being blended together. In the past there has been a tendancy to have either English or French to be the dominant language. Today there was a real flow between the two. Sometimes someone whose first language is English would be speaking in French to another English speaker and vice versa. It meant that there was a really inclusive feel to the session. I felt that there was a sense of Engagement, that people were present in the moment and utilising the most appropriate language at that moment. I think it was a really positive session that everyone was able to enjoy.

On a side note the Embrasser, the test piece I am doing, grows ever closer to being finished. I hope that if I don’t finish it today it will be finished tomorrow. I find that after two or three weeks of working on a project I am ready to move on. So whilst I think it’s a beautiful piece I shall be glad to have finished it!

Until tomorrow…